#zlatan-ibrahimovic

#zlatan-ibrahimovic

Kylian Mbappe's France captaincy could hardly have started better as the World Cup finalists brushed aside the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 qualifier, winning 4-0 at the Stade de France, with three goals coming in the first 21 minutes.The opener came after two minutes when Antoine Griezmann, said to be upset at being passed over for the armband, was teed up by Mbappe.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been called up to the Sweden squad at the age of 41 for their European Championship qualifiers, a year after his last cap.Sweden will face Belgium and Azerbaijan later this month.The AC Milan forward has been sidelined for much of the season because of a knee injury.He quit international football after Euro 2016 but returned in 2021 for their unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign.

Feb 16, 2023



Chris WrightToe Poke writer



It looks like Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been training up his own in-house strike partner after being spotted playing alongside his son, Maximilian, at AC Milan's training complex this week.The pair trained together at the reigning Serie A champions' Milanello Sports Centre as the 41-year-old Swedish striker took part in a game with the Rossoneri's under-18 side as he continues to recuperate from a knee injury that has kept him out of action since May.

May 24, 2017 in Stockholm, a team of veterans and youngsters capped a grueling UEFA Europa League campaign with a 2-0 win in the final over Ajax.A handful of the team watched and celebrated on crutches, but they weren't to be denied a celebration.For them, it felt like a fresh start.Year one under a new boss, Champions League qualification secured, and shiny medals to add to personal collections.

Stefano Pioli set Milan the target of securing a top-four finish in Serie A as he declared himself satisfied with the Rossoneri's response to a dire run of form.Milan went seven games without a win across all competitions recently, losing three successive league matches before stopping the rot against Torino last Friday.

Champions AC Milan beat visitors Atalanta 2-0 in Serie A on Sunday, consolidating their position in the top four as they extended their winning streak to three league outings.Milan took the lead in the 25th minute through an own goal by Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso, after the ball went in off his back as he tried to save a shot from distance by Theo Hernandez.

AC Milan invited Atalanta to the San Siro to smash them out of the way in the race for the top four.Milan managed to keep yet another clean sheet with Mike Maignan returning and entertain the home fans with a massive 2-0 win continuing their winning streak.The game was a six pointer and elevates Milan to 47 points on par with Inter Milan who were beaten by Bologna into joint second place.

AC Milan have put an end to a string of underwhelming results, beating Torino at San Siro on Friday evening by 1-0.The French connection
The goal that settled the game and earned the Rossoneri the tree points, scored in the 62nd minute, was the combined work of Theo Hernandez and Olivier Giroud, two France internationals who played a great part as their country made its way into the World Cup final a few months ago.

Best odds: 5/6 Bookmaker: Betfair AC Milan are set to welcome Torino to the San Siro on Friday evening, for a match which opens the 22nd round of the Serie A roller coaster in the 2022/23 season.Needless to say, both teams need the points on offer here, and with not much between them at the moment, it should be an interesting contest between two opponents of high quality.

Verdict: Both teams to score Best Odds: 17/20 Bookmaker: Unibet In what could be a season-defining showdown from the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening, Roma will welcome AC Milan to town.Roma
Starting with the hosts, while Roma might have punched their Europa League semi-final spot last week following an action-packed 4-2 victory against Dutch giants Feyenoord, Jose Mourinho's side are seeking some recent stability.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a much-anticipated return to international football but it was Romelu Lukaku who scored a hat trick as Belgium secured a 3-0 win over Sweden in their opening Group F European Championship qualifier on Friday.The win at the Friends Arena gave new Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco the perfect start as his side seek to bounce back form a disappointing group-stage exit at the Qatar World Cup but Janne Andersson's Sweden posed little threat.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's landmark Serie A goal was the only highlight of a poor display for Milan as they were beaten 3-1 at Udinese on Saturday.On his first start since January 2022 following his recovery from a knee injury, Ibrahimovic became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history, overtaking Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta.

Milan missed the chance to gain ground on their rivals for a top-four Serie A finish as Boulaye Dia cancelled out Olivier Giroud's opener in a 1-1 draw with Salernitana at San Siro.Slip-ups from Inter, Lazio and Roma gave Milan the chance to strike an important blow in the Champions League race on Monday, and they looked set to do so when Giroud headed the opener on the stroke of half-time.

Stefano Pioli wants Rafael Leao to lead a Milan resurgence as he warned his team their Champions League run must not come at the expense of a top-four finish.The Milan head coach said Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not yet ready to start games after making two substitute appearances since returning from major knee surgery.

AC Milan vs AC Monza.The Berlusconi-Galliani derby returns and it was a whopper the first time around.Stefano Pioli is rotating and bringing back some starters.Raffaele Palladino is unbeaten in 2023 in the league.Here are some key battles to look out for:
Key Battles
Striker vs Centre back Divock Origi vs Pablo Mari Origi is the primary focus in this game for me.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the oldest man to play in a European Championship qualifier as Romelu Lukaku scored a hat-trick to lead Belgium to victory against Sweden.Ibrahimovic, 41, came on in the 73rd minute to a standing ovation from the Swedish fans.By then Belgium were already 2-0 up after a Lukaku double.

AC Milan face Udinese on the road as Stefano Pioli searches for his first win in three games.Milan went on a four game win streak and are not at risk of no wins in four games.Udinese are unbeaten in the previous three with a win and two draws.This is the final game ahead of the international break and Milan are in serious risk of falling out of the top four again if the side cannot get a win.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in contention to start for Milan against Udinese on Saturday as the 41-year-old looks to lift Stefano Pioli's' struggling champions.The striker, recalled by Sweden this week, has recovered from major knee surgery and come through three substitute appearances.Now the veteran is a prime contender to line up from the first whistle as Milan are forced to cope without the suspended Olivier Giroud in their last game before the international break.

Stefano Pioli credited Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his influence on Milan's squad as he suggested the fit-again striker will soon be able to make his first start of the season.Having undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery shortly after helping Milan end an 11-year wait to win the Scudetto last May, Ibrahimovic made his first appearance of the campaign last week.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has urged his Milan team-mate Rafael Leao to reject interest from other clubs and stay at San Siro in order to realise his "scary" potential.Leao played a key role as Milan ended an 11-year wait to win the Scudetto last term, while no other Rossoneri player can match his tallies of six goals and four assists in Serie A this season.

AC Milan face Torino at the San Siro tonight as the side face a total collapse following a 1-0 loss in the derby last week and a winless run of 7 games which includes 5 losses and 4 games where Milan have not scored.The manager is switching things up again to a 3-4-3 from the 3-5-2 last week and our usual 4-2-3-1.

AC Milan face Lumezzane in their first mid-season friendly at Milanello this afternoon.Milan will take on the Serie D side as Stefano Pioli looks to keep the team sharp and get ready for the title defence in the second half of the season.None of the players who featured at the World Cup are expected in this fixture.